Women in leadership do extraordinary things.

Women in leadership do extraordinary things. Thank you Supervisors Solis and Kuehl. ‪#‎ParksforAll‬ More parks and open space, protection for our rivers, streams and beaches. Now it goes to the voters. Let's try some nature-based solutions to our man made problems!

Today, the P-1 measure was passed by the LA County Supervisors to be on the November ballot. The Measure ensures continuous source of funding for improvements to existing park and recreation facilities as well as new infrastructure in cities and unincorporated areas across LA County, the proposed 3 cents

per square foot parcel assessment must be placed on the November 2016 ballot. Currently, the proposed measure’s spending plan devotes 15% of the revenue generated to increase park space and improve existing recreational facilities in the County’s highest need communities. Allocating at least 15% to the most park-deficient communities would yield significant health and safety benefits to residents throughout the county. A parcel assessment at a rate of 3 cents per square foot translates to about $45 per year for the average homeowner (with exemptions for low income seniors) and will generate the resources we need to ensure safe and health parks for all communities.

Full Remarks by Executive Director, Wendy Ramallo, supporting LA County Supervisors Solis and Kuehl Motion to place Parks Funding Measure on 2016 Ballot.

Good afternoon, my name is Wendy Ramallo. I am the Executive Director of the Council for Watershed Health.

I am here today to express the Council’s strong support for this Board placing the Parks Funding Measure before you today, on the November 2016 ballot.

Our organization was started 20 years ago by Dorothy Green and I am quite certain if she were here today she would first say– thank you.

Thank you for your leadership, your willingness to tackle the lack of accessible park and open space for too many of LA County’s residents. But then there would be the challenge, a call to action.

We all know that access to parks and outdoor recreation is essential for improved health and mental health outcomes.

We also know that access to safe outdoor activity is imperative for the proper development of Los Angeles County’s children and youth.

But parks and open space are also essential to the health and resiliency of our local water supply. By preserving and increasing open space, and protecting the health of our watersheds, we use mother nature’s best tools to reduce erosion and water runoff, filter pollutants, recharge local ground water supplies, and promote the long-term sustainability of our local ecosystems.

Moreover, by investing now in more open space and protecting watershed health you are reducing the much higher cost of addressing pollution in the future with after the fact remediation.

From Sunland to El Monte, South LA to Compton Creek, the Council for Watershed Health has worked alongside residents and stakeholders in each of your Districts to increase nature-based solutions to our man made problems.

Green Streets and Alleys are reducing pollutant runoff. Parks and schools are incorporating Low Impact Development (LID). The results are there. The support from the community is there.

To those who say we can’t afford to move forward with this funding measure the answer is – we simply can’t afford not to.

We stand at a moment in time where through your leadership we can truly redesign LA. Today we can address an ugly disparity in access to green space – long overdue- and improve the health of our watersheds.

The Council for Watershed Health stands united with our partners before you today and strongly encourages this Board to move forward and place the Parks Funding Measure on the November 2016 ballot.